


When the Cat's Away

by WonkaFluffButt



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien has to move to New York, Angst, But leaves his miraculous is Paris, Hawk Moth leaves as well, I'd rather right fluff, Kinda, Mari misses her kitty, More than her model, Tikki should be worried, i'm not good at writing angst, if not, obviously, so does Chat, the miraculous magic gets Mari from figuring out Adrien's identity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:08:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23652109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonkaFluffButt/pseuds/WonkaFluffButt
Summary: Adrien is moving to New York, and therefore so is Chat Noir.Hawk Moth disappeared with Chat's departure and Paris hasn't seen a peaceful month like this for a while...Until someone finds the butterfly miraculous again and starts terrorizing the city with even worse akumas than Hawk Moth's.Without Chat Noir's help Ladybug struggles to defeat these villains but her kitten can't help her from halfway across the world.
Relationships: Chat Noir/Ladybug
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

“Adrien.” Gabriel Agreste glared down at his son from the top of his grand staircase. Adrien started to sweat under the intense stare his father gave him. “I have an important matter to discuss with you.”

Adrien sighed, knowing his father was going to scold him for his A- in English. He hurried to his room to drop off his bag before rushing to the dining room for his punishment.

“Sit.” Gabriel commanded when Adrien had entered. Gabriel stood across from Adrien’s chair. “Adrien, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Adrien gulped.

“Adrien, I’ve decided that we are moving to New York…”

“M’lady, can I-I t-tell you something?” Chat Noir stammered.

“Sure, Chat, go ahead,” Ladybug smiled.

“Um, so, I’ve already asked Master Fu about it and he said I should keep my miraculous but, um, what I guess I’m trying to say is that I have to move away. Like, out of the country.” At that, Ladybug dropped her yo-yo.

“W-what!” He hugged her tightly before attempting to back away. She just hung onto him tighter. “Chat, you can’t leave! You’re my partner! I need you to defeat Hawkmoth! ”

“Trust me, I don’t want to leave either! I hate that I have to leave you to worry about Paris on your own but I’ve tried to talk to my father and he won’t listen!” Tears threatened to spill from Chat’s eyes.

“W-when are you leaving?”

“Two weeks. On the bright side, my father said I could come back for good when I turn eighteen.”

“Seriously! You can’t possibly say that’s something to be happy about!” Ladybug cried into Chat’s shoulder.

“Yeah, but if you knew my father it would be something to be happy about. Either way, it’s really the only thing that’s keeping me going right now,” Chat chuckled even through his tears. “I should probably go though. I bet I’ll see you again anyway before I leave.”

“Yeah,” she sniffed. Just on cue, Chat’s ring started flashed.

“See you soon, M’lady,” Chat vaulted away into the horizon.

“Bye, Chat,” LB whispered.

Alya, Nino, Adrien, and Marinette were gathered outside the classroom after school.

“Bro, did I tell you that we’re leaving for summer break to go to London?” Nino’s face was alight with excitement.

“No, you didn’t, but uh speaking of other countries I have some important news to share,” Adrien was afraid of his friend’s reaction to his news.

“Go ahead, Adrien,” Alya smiled, hoping his news would be something about asking Marinette to go with him to an upcoming fashion show in Taiwan.

“So, uh, we- I mean my father has decided that we need to move to- well move to New York.”

  
Alya dropped her bag and Mari broke down into tears. Nino blinked in shock. Adrien didn’t know what to do, so he just went to embrace Marinette, who seemed to need his comfort the most. She silently hugged him back. She hardly registered the fact that the ‘love of her life’ was hugging her for the first time because _Adrien was leaving too_.

“I’ve tried multiple times to talk to my father to change his mind but he is sure this will help the company; and my happiness.”

  
Mari barely heard his words as she pulled herself out of Adrien’s arms and fled home. Once safely in her room Tikki flew out of her bag and landed on Mari’s workbench. Mari flopped onto her chaise lounge and let her tears flow fully; her pillow quickly becoming soaked.

  
“It’s not fair, Tikki! My partner and my love are leaving at the same time! They are the most important men in my life beside my dad!” Fresh tears leaked from her eyes once more.

  
“I’m sorry, Marinette. It really is unfortunate that they’re both leaving around the same time.”

  
“Can I be alone for a little bit?” Mari sobbed.

  
“Of course.”

  
“Actually, I need some fresh air. Come on, I wanna go to the Eiffel Tower. Spot’s on!”

  
Ladybug yoyo-ed around Paris for hours until she finally comprehended that this would be normal from now on; her patrols would be alone, her random outings would never be interrupted by a certain Cat-themed superhero again, and whenever she fought Hawkmoth’s akumas she would have to do all the fighting by herself. A heart-crushed sob echoed through the deserted streets of the city she fought to protect. A sudden noise pulled her from her thoughts.

  
“M’lady! I didn’t expect to find you here,” Chat Noir’s voice came from behind her. Seeing her shoulders shake in a way that couldn’t be from laughing, he added,” Are you alright?”

  
“No, Chat,” LB took a deep breath, “I’m not.” Warm arms wrapped around her torso, causing her to gasp.

  
“I’m sorry. It’s been a couple of tough days for me too. I just told my friends about it, you know. I’m going to miss you so much, Ladybug,” Chat whispered; he was afraid to ruin the melancholy moment by speaking loudly.

  
“Ha, I’m sure you will, until you find another lady to love,” Ladybug scoffed.

  
“No, no, why would I do that?”

  
“Chat, you’re not gonna see me for at least four years. I’m pretty sure you’re not going to still be in love with me by the time that you get back,” she laughed.

  
“Oh, I don’t know, I’m pretty sure you’re the only one for me.” When Chat said that, she gasped.

  
“Again with the ‘I’m in love with you thing’, it’s getting old. And I don’t want one of the last things I remember about you is how upset you were when I denied you again.”  
“You’re right, I’ll stop.” After a pause he promised, “For good.”

And after 336 hours of spending every free moment with Chat Noir, the night before his departure had finally arrived.

  
“Is this really happening? Are you really leaving?” Ladybug and Chat Noir were seated on a rooftop overlooking the Louvre.

  
“Unfortunately, yes.” He watched her closely for a hint of emotion but her face was as solid as stone.

  
“Wow.” That was the only thing she said for hours, her eyes fixed on the moon.

  
After hours of silence Chat decided it was time to say his final goodbyes.

  
“Well then, M’lady, I guess this is it.” He stood. Ladybug quickly tore her eyes away from the glowing orb in the sky and stood with him. Her face still a blank, solid wall.

Suddenly, she flung her arms around him and firmly kissed his cheek.

  
“Every night, Chat. Tell it everything every night. And I’ll do the same. Because even if we’re a world apart and our skies are different, the weather is different, even the stars are different, the moon will always be the same. You’re my best friend, chaton, and I don’t want to forget you. Promise me, _promise me_ you’ll do it,” Ladybug whispered in his ear. He nodded a silent promise and hugged her stiff body. And as she pulled herself from his arms and turned to yoyo away, she finally let her mask of blank emotion fall and Chat could see the hurt and despair in her eyes as silent tears rolled down her cheeks.


	2. Leaving

Adrien looked back one last time. His friends were waving sadly and he returned the gesture.

“Come, Adrien, we have to be in New York by sunset and you mustn’t be late.” Natalie hurried him toward the jet but all Adrien could do was think of his friends, his new friends that he had just made, his lady, who had laughed and cried and flirted with him, and of his father, who was making him leave Paris behind just when Adrien had found people to be happy with.

He climbed the steps up to the jet slowly knowing he wasn’t going to see any of these people for the next three years. He flopped down in his seat and immersed himself in memories of the best year of his life. His unexpected friendship with Nino, Alya’s journaling madness, Marinette’s stutter and bright red face, Kim and Alex’s ongoing competition, his and Kagami’s fencing duels. But the memories that were the best were with his lady. All the times they had gotten stuck in her yoyo’s string, their bantering and flirting, the times when nothing was going their way but they always ended out on top, her beautiful blue-bell eyes, and dark hair, and her laugh that would brighten anyone’s day. He really needed that laugh right now.

He took a deep breath and relaxed against his chair. This was how it was going to be now, he might as well try to get used to it.

The penthouse door swung open. Adrien walked in gloomily and set his bags down.

“Adrien, follow me,” Natalie said in her crisp voice and walked down a hallway, stopping in front of a door. He sighed and grabbed his bags, and followed her down the hall.

“This is your room. You will not leave this room unless your father or I come and get you. Understand?”

“I’m being kept prisoner in my own room? That’s what father’s come to? Locking me in my room?” Adrien scoffed. Natalie closed the door, and Adrien was left alone. He slumped onto the king-sized bed and finally, after two weeks of putting on a brave face, he let the tears fall. He cried and cried for what felt like hours. Plagg had phased out of his jacket and was sitting next to him on the bed. When there were no more tears left in his eyes he wiped his face and stumbled into the pristine bathroom. He vigorously tried to turn on the faucet to wash away his frustration and anger, but it was new and with his blurry vision he couldn’t figure it out. He screamed in frustration and slammed his fist on the shower head. Suddenly, the water sputtered out of the metal square. He tore his clothes off and let the hot water wash away his tears.

Adrien was gone. Chat Noir was gone. And tonight was LB’s first patrol without her trusty partner.

As the heroine silently yoyo-ed over the city of love her mind wandered away from the task at hand. She wondered what Chat was doing at the moment. She wanted to know how he was dealing with his awful father and if he had found something there to be happy about. Her mind wandered back to the night before he left when she had kissed his cheek. Her face burned at the thought of his surprised face when she had kissed him. She was surprised she had done it too but so many thoughts and memories had filled her head that night that she had hardly done anything rational.

She missed him more than she was willing to admit. She missed his playful smiles and jabs, his excitement at the smallest things, and my goodness, she missed his awful puns. And while, yes, she did miss Adrien, she wanted Chat back more than the famous model. Chat was just easier to be around and she didn’t have to fight with other girls for Chat’s attention; it was already all on her.

But, all this thinking brought her back to the realization that neither of them could come back until they were eighteen. And with that thought she was brought back into the present. A present where she was creepily on an apartment building near the Louvre, staring at the tiny little sliver of moon that was just beginning its month long cycle. She stared at the moon for a few more seconds before turning away, ashamed. Because even though she made Chat promise to talk to it, she couldn’t work up enough courage to do it herself.


	3. After the Move

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 things
> 
> 1) The first 2 chapters were extremely short. Hopefully, the others will be longer.
> 
> 2) I am pretending Love Eater and Miracle Queen never happened. So Master Fu is still the guardian and Chloe still wants to help Ladybug fight akumas.

Hawk Moth hadn't attacked since Chat left and Paris was preparing for a big attack. He had never been silent for this long, and they were scared, to say the least. Marinette was scared, too. She patrolled every night and couldn't sleep when she got home. Her anxiety would take over and her body would tense up until she was still awake in the wee hours of the morning. Her parents and friends tried to help but, since she couldn't reveal her identity, there wasn't much they could do. 

"Mari, Marinette, _Marinette!_ " Alya roughly shook her bff's shoulders. The bluenette's head shot up and suddenly, she was wide awake.

"W-what'd I miss?!" She rubbed her eyes and peered around frantically.

"Only the first half of the school day, girl! You need to stop dozing off like this," Alya laughed, grabbed her books, stuffed them into her bag, and walked out the door. "Come on, Nino's waiting for us outside."

Marinette drowsily packed up her books, her sleepiness returning, and stumbled out the door. Her friends were patiently waiting and she plopped down on their bench.

"Goodness, Mari! You need more sleep!" Nino slung an arm around his friends and tugged Marinette over. She chuckled and leaned on his shoulder, her eyes closing lazily.

"Let's go eat. I'm not sure how long my stomachs going to last without food." Alya joked.

"We can go to my house," The tired bluenette offered. 

"Sounds good!" Alya agreed, "but, by the way, Mari you might want to find someone else to eat lunch with. Nino and I are doing something special." Marinette winked at her friend and Alya just looked away and blushed. "I'm sure Luka's free, though." Now it was Mari's turn to blush.

"Y-yeah, maybe I'll go ask him."

Nino interrupted, "Hey, dudes, are we gonna get going or sit here and chat? My tummies agreeing with Alya's and I'm craving a croissant." They all laughed and walked out of the courtyard.

A minute later they burst into the bakery smiling and laughing. The bell jingled and Tom and Sabine looked up from their work. Mari pecked her parents cheeks and led her friends up the steps to her room. 

Most of the pictures of Adrien had come down soon after he left. Although she still loved the model, having his face all over her wall just reminded her that he was gone for four years.Of course she had kept her favorites but a lot of the pictures had been replaced with photos of family, other friends, sketches, and beautiful places she hoped to one day visit. She had even dared to add one of Ladybug and Chat Noir, mainly because she couldn't have a wall of people she loved without him on it, but also because she missed his smile.

She spun into her desk chair, munching on a croissant she had grabbed in the bakery. Alya and Nino sat together on her chaise lounge and chewed on their own croissants. A comfortable silence filled the air. 

"So, what did y'all wanna do? We've probably got 40 minutes until lunch break is over," Mari asked. As much as she liked peace and quiet, if she was left to her thoughts she would start panicking from stress.

"We could watch a show or play a game." Nino suggested. 

"Nah, we always do that. Mari, you should put on a fashion show for us," Alya suggested,"I haven't seen some of your designs and now's the perfect time to show them!" Marinette blushed and mumbled something about not having enough clothes to try on. "Shush, girl. You're doing it whether you want to or not, we're seeing those designs!"

Marinette shifted awkwardly in her seat. "Ok, I guess, but they aren't very good."

"Oh you be quiet! You always say that, but when you wear them out, boys are practically drooling over you!" 

"Ha, as if. If they really did that, Adrien would have liked me back. But he never did, and now he never will. He's probably going to meet some girl in New York and they're gonna fall in love and get married and have 3 kids and a hamster!"

"Now you're just being crazy, girl," Alya laughed, "Come on. We are going to run out of time!" 30 minutes later, the three friends were back in class and Marinette was trying desperately to stay awake.

* * *

"Adrien, you're dinner is here," Natalie's voice came from outside his door. He heard the door crack open and his dinner tray being set down. He stayed on the couch and let Plagg attack the tray, looking for Camembert. The kwami sighed in disappointment when the only cheese was Gouda and floated back over to his chosen.

"Adrien! I told you to request Camembert for the next meal! Why didn't you?"

"Plagg! I'm stuck in my room, in a penthouse in New York! I haven't seen my friends or my lady in weeks, my father hasn't said a word to me since we arrived, and _you're complaining about **Camembert!!**_ I don't care if you don't have your _precious_ cheese!" Adrien screamed. Plagg shut up after that. Adrien had _never_ gotten that mad. 

A knock echoed through the huge room. "Adrien, get cleaned up. Your father wants to see you. I'll come get you in half an hour. You will be ready by then."

Adrien gasped. "Father, wants to see _me_! _Now_! But why?"

"It is not my business to know what your father wants. I only know he wants to see you." Adrien could hear the assistant's shoes clicking down the hall. He leaned back into the couch for a couple minutes, a million thoughts and questions swirling in his head. He jumped up after a bit and hurriedly brushed his teeth and combed his hair. He still looked like a half-starved depressed teenage boy, but at least his breath wouldn't smell and his hair would look okay. He slipped on clean clothes and sank back into the couch until Natalie knocked on the door again. The bright hallway lights momentarily blinded him. He blinked twice and then squinted, his eyes still adjusting from the darkness of his room. He followed Natalie down the corridor and trudged into the penthouse's fancy meeting room. 

Gabriel Agreste was seated at the end of a long narrow table. He motioned for Adrien to sit without looking up from his tablet. Adrien sat stiffly in his chair and stared straight ahead. His father glanced up at his son and did a comical double take. He stared at him in silence for a few long seconds, before sighing at rubbing his forehead, as if he had a headache.

"Adrien," he started. "You do understand that moving to New York doesn't mean that we are relaxing any of the rules in this house. You will still wake up and get dressed every morning, brush your teeth, comb your hair, and prepare as if you were going out in public. Just because you chose to not leave your room in weeks is not a reason to become a disgrace to the Agreste name."

"Chose! _Chose!_ Natalie told me I wasn't allowed to leave my room unless you or her gave me permission! I hardly count _that_ as choosing to stay in my room!"

"Natalie? I told you Adrien wasn't to leave the rooms of this house without my permission. Not that he couldn't leave his room!" Gabriel stood angrily. "Now my only trustworthy model looks like a half-starved _beggar_!"

Adrien scoffed. "Of course. That's all I am to you. A model. An _employee_. You're worried about how I look and not how I feel or my health. You're not worried about your _son_ ,you're worried about your company!" He stood, pushing his chair away with a screech. He ran out the door, his eyes watering. He dashed into his room, slamming the door behind him.

"Plagg!" He gasped. "I need fresh air. _Please!_ _"_ His kwami floated into view and gave a swift nod. "PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!!"

Relief poured through him as the familiar feeling of power washed over his body. He took a deep breath and relished the feeling of the suit he hadn't worn for weeks. He opened the window, and slipped out into the polluted, cloudy sky of New York City. He took another deep breath and even with all the dirty air, it seemed like the freshest he had in awhile. He climbed onto the roof of the building and looked around. Manhattan was so different from Paris. Because while Paris' tallest building was easily the Eiffel Tower, the Big Apple had many buildings that easily would have _tower_ ed over it. He vaulted over building after building, the wind wiping his face. He smiled for the first time since he left Paris.

Finally, after a couple hours of running over buildings, he laid down on the roof of his penthouse's building again. He sighed. As much as he wanted to be Chat Noir for the rest of his life, he needed to return to his father. He climbed down the building and slid into the open window. He called his transformation off and Plagg spun out of the ring.

"Thanks, Plagg. For letting me do that. I really needed it." His kwami just nodded and flew over to the Gouda cheese, still sitting on Adrien's lunch tray. He sniffed it in disdain before picking it up and setting it gingerly in his mouth. 

"Come on, Plagg. I might as well start getting ready to model again."

"But, Adrien. Why not just tell your father that you won't do it?"

"Because, Plagg, I'm gonna need some money when I move back to Paris, and my father definitely won't help me when I do."

"Oh... well okay then. But Adrien."

"Yeah?"

"Just make sure you're happy. Okay?"

Adrien's eyes softened at his kwami. "I'll try, Plagg. I'll try."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said the other chapters were going to be longer, but then I looked back at how long the last chapter was, and was like 'This isn't long at all!'  
> So i decided that my chapters are just going to be short, but there will be updates more often. So yeah.

Ladybug raced through the city. People only saw her for seconds before she disappeared from view. She had been doing the every night now, instead of patrolling. She would dash through Paris, trying to leave her sadness and misery behind on her balcony. It never worked. The heroine always ended her sprint by landing heavily on the Eiffel Tower. There she would let herself cry.

She cried for Adrien. She cried for Chat. She cried for the stress she had to go through as the only protector of Paris. She would cry and cry without any stop before standing up and sprinting back to her balcony. She would then climb into her room and stare at the photos of her friends for awhile. She never slept at all anymore. Instead she would design and sketch throughout the entire night. Her room soon piled with dresses, hats, skirts, blouses, and pants. She stopped showering and caring for her body. 

Because without Chat Noir, Marinette had lost her mind. Partly because of the stress levels of not knowing when Hawk Moth's next attack was going to be, and partly because she needed her best friend's smiles, his jokes, and his comfort when she was scared.

Tom and Sabine were scared for their daughter. They didn't know what was happening to their kind, sweet, loving Marinette. They sent her to doctors, therapists, and psychiatrists, but none seemed to know what was wrong either. They just prescribed medicines that Marinette refused to take.

She stopped going to school or social events, and would only leave the house for her nightly race around the city. Tikki was worried too. She had seen this happen before in past Ladybug's. This is what happened when soulmates were brutally ripped apart. Sometimes through death and, in this case, through terrible parenting. They _needed_ the other to live, but until Chat returned on his eighteenth birthday both Adrien and Marinette would suffer greatly. There was no cure except to wait for Adrien to return. The kwami feared for the city and for her friend. If Adrien didn't return, and Marinette had to face off against an akuma on her own, the akuma was sure to win.

"Marinette? Alya's calling you," the little kwami squeaked. Marinette looked up from behind her sowing machine. She looked terrible. There were dark bags under her glazed-over blue eyes, her hair was a rat's nest, her frame was thin and bony from missed meals, and she smelled like someone who hadn't showered in weeks. She grabbed her phone from Tikki's paws and jabbed at it violently.

"Hey, Al," she croaked.

"Mari." Her friend looked at her closely with a frown plastered on the face. "You look even worse than last time we talked. Please. _Please._ Tell me what's going on."

Mari scoffed. "Did my parents tell you to do this? Is that why you're calling?"

"No! I'm worried about you! I want to help you, but I can't unless you tell me what's going on! Is it Chloe? Hawk Moth? What is it!"

Marinette sighed. "I'm sorry, Al. But there's nothing wrong with me. I've just changed, and if you can't except that then I guess you're not a true friend. I'm sorry." She ended the call and threw her phone back at her kwami.

"Marinette. Alya and your parents aren't the only ones worried about you."

"Ugg! Not you too! I don't need you guys to watch me like hawks! I'm _fine!_ "

"I just think that maybe you should visit Master Fu. He might have some advice about Hawk Moth."

"That's actually not a bad idea, Tikki. I'll stop by later on patrol."

"No, Marinette. I want you to do it _right now_!" The kwami said, urgently.

"Fine. TIKKI, SPOTS ON!"

Ladybug leaped onto the balcony and took off toward the old guardian's home. After dropping into an alleyway and de-transforming, she walked the remaining block to his house and knocked on the apartment door. 

A quiet 'Come in' echoed through the thin wood. She slipped into the room and knelt in front of the old master.

"Tikki said I should talk to you about Hawk Moth," she said bluntly without any greeting.

"Ah, yes, I knew that's why you're here," he said brightly. He looked at Marinette's tired, sweaty body. "But possibly not the only reason Tikki said to come." He added quietly.

He continued on. "I have three different theories about his disappearance. First, I suspect Hawk Moth has either decided to give up going for your miraculous, and has possibly hidden the butterfly miraculous somewhere is Paris. Second, he could've moved away from Paris. The first two options are highly unlikely since he was so determined to steal your miraculous. The last option is that he's waiting for something. Such as someone arriving, or to find the miracle box and build an army of miraculous wearers. The last option is the most likely, so you must be careful when coming to visit me."

"Okay, thank you, Master. But what should I do while I wait?"

"Three specific things. One, get better. I know that will be very difficult to do, seeing as the condition you are in." He gave a sharp glance to Tikki and she shied away in embarrassment. "Two, continue to patrol and spend extra time in the suit every day. You'll need to be at your best when Hawk Moth finally attacks. I'll even give you the fox and turtle miraculous for Alya and Nino. And three, even though I said the first two options for why Hawk Moth has disappeared are unlikely, there still is the chance that I was correct and he has hidden the butterfly miraculous. I want you to look for it while you go on patrols. If it gets in the wrongs hands again, I will never be able to forgive myself for losing it in the first place. Do not fail us, Marinette."

"Um, Master Fu, this plan might not work," Tikki said, floating away from Marinette's jacket.

"Why is that, Tikki?" The master inquired. The kwami motioned slightly at her chosen and Master Fu nodded in understanding. "Marinette, would you mind if I talked to Tikki alone for a minute?"

Mari looked at him suspiciously before shrugging and walking out the door.

"So, Tikki, why won't the plan work?"

"You haven't been around Marinette for the past few weeks. Her soulmate is gone, Master. You know how that works! It happened to you with Marianne. You know how it eats away at your soul, but Marinette's case is much worse than yours was! I think its because Marianne knew you were Jade Turtle and she didn't have a secret identity, but Marinette thinks she's lost both Adrien and Chat! To her she's lost both of her soulmates, so the symptoms are even worse than normal! She isn't stable enough to be searching for the butterfly miraculous or train for a big attack, when she's not going to recover this until Adrien turns 18. We'll be lucky if her soul can handle to wait for that long!"

Master Fu hummed in agreement. His eyes clouded over and he was lost in thought.

"Master, I've seen too many Ladybug's _die_ from this to know that Marinette will probably die before Adrien can return. If fact, Adrien might die before he can even try to come back. He's suffering too, and while I am lucky and can help Mari survive longer, since Plagg is unlucky he could cause Adrien to lose his soul faster!"

"But, Tikki, we can't leave Paris without Ladybug, the citizens need her. Just like Marinette needs _you,_ " Master Fu argued.

"I think we only have one option..."

"No, Tikki, its too dangerous. Either way, we don't know if Plagg would be okay with it. What if he's if Adrien's pocket, if public, and all of a sudden he's human? I won't let you do it," Fu said angrily.

"But, Master, think about it. What other options do we have? Marinette can't be Ladybug anymore, and right now is not the time to pick someone else to be a new ladybug. Either way, you said it yourself. Marinette _needs_ me to survive. I can't leave her! And I'm sure Plagg would be fine. He and Adrien are smart. They'd figure something out. He'll know what's going on once it happens anyway."

"i hate to admit it, but I think you're right," he said solemnly. "I just feel so bad for forcing this on Plagg. This is the second time he's had to become human for you without his decision first! I'm sure he won't be happy."

Tikki nodded. "But he loves me, so hopefully he'll be okay with it. And then, as Ladybug, I can still go on patrols, and look for the butterfly miraculous. I won't have to train for a big attack either!"

"But are you sure? You know how painful the process is. Do you still want to go through with this?"

"Of course. For Marinette, I would do anything."

"Okay... then let's go ahead and do it now."

Master Fu hurried into a side closet and pulled out a gong, a few different oils, and a long metal staff. Tikki went to go get her earrings from Marinette. When they both had collected the necessary items for the transformation, they sat at opposites ends of the mat on the floor.

"Are you ready?" Master Fu asked the little red kwami. She grunted through the scrap of cloth she had firmly clasped in her tiny teeth.

Master Fu sighed, then sprinkled the oil onto her tiny body. Her slammed the staff onto the gong and a loud screech echoed through the entire apartment complex. He did repeated this process a couple more times before resting the end of the staff on the black spot of Tikki's forehead. She grimaced as it glowed red. The red light slowly spread to the rest of her miniature body. She screamed into the gag and thrashed around wildly. Once the light had covered her entire body it slowly began bigger and spread into the air around her. Her muffled yells quieted and her flailing body stilled. In a final bright burst of white light, she grew into a young human girl.

Tikki rubbed her eyes and blink a couple times. She spat the gag onto the floor and coughed. Marinette burst into the room and saw her kwami as a beautiful 16 year-old teenager.

"T-tikki? What happened to you?" Marinette gasped.

"We had to do something, Marinette. You aren't healthy enough to be Ladybug anymore, and we couldn't appoint a new ladybug with Hawk Moth's upcoming attack. So, I went through an ancient ritual to become human for as long as necessary," Tikki responded. "I'm sorry, Marinette. But you couldn't know until now. You would have tried to stop us from doing it."

"Yeah, I would have and now I'm going to stop you now. You're still my kwami and I can command you to turn back. If your human I can't transform!" 

"Actually, you can. It will just be, um, different. But I can stop you from transforming now if I want. While I'm still a kwami, I'm more free as a human." Marinette huffed and crossed her arms. She looked away, but not without stolen glances at her now human kwami. Tikki was gorgeous, even if she did look a little unusual. She had stunning blue eyes and a cute little nose. Her red hair was wavy and long and her pinkish skin was dotted with petite freckles. The famous spotted mask covered her eyes and her dress was coated in black spots. And instead of the yoyo, she had a long golden staff. similar to the one Master Fu still held. She looked like a medieval warrior princess that tried to dress like Ladybug at the same time. 

"We should go back to my house, Tikki. I knew coming here was a bad idea. Good-bye, Master Fu." Marinette grabbed her kwami's arm and dragged her out of the room.

"You know, for someone that hasn't eaten in a while, you are surprisingly strong," Tikki joked.

Marinette glared at her. "Well, I _used to be_ Ladybug for a year, so I'm glad my muscles didn't disappear that fast." Tikki didn't make another comment until they were standing under the bakery.

"Marinette, we can't go up the steps. Your parents never knew you left, so if you just walk through the house they'll wonder how you got out! You have to let me bring you to your balcony!" Tikki motioned wildly at little shop.

" _Or_ you could just let me transform and climb up there by myself!" Marinette argued.

Tikki sighed. "Marinette, you have to understand! I'm Ladybug now, not you! You aren't going to transform until Chat returns because your mental health is unstable! This is why I went through the whole process to become human!"

"I never asked you to become human! I was fine being Ladybug without you having to stand in for me!" People started to stare at the two teenage girls arguing outside the bakery. One looked and _smelled_ like she hadn't showered in weeks and the other looked like ancient Ladybug with unnatural red hair. Both girls felt the stares of the civilians and they both blushed bright red.

Marinette grabbed Tikki's arm and dragged her kwami away for the second time that day. 

"Fine," Mari sighed in defeat. "Just go ahead and take me up there."

Tikki smiled slightly. She hugged Marinette close and pointed her staff at the balcony. A golden beam cast a light on the balcony's lounge chair and suddenly both girls were transported onto the recliner.

Marinette visibly relaxed. "Thanks, Tikki. I'm glad I have you. I feel a _huge_ weight being lifted off my shoulders. I'm happy that I don't have worry about Hawk Moth or patrols or responsibility anymore. And I'm sorry I was so rude earlier. I've just had a lot going on."

Tikki hugged her friend. "Hey, its okay. I know, you're fine."

"Thanks," she grasped her friend tightly. When they finally stopped hugging, Marinette swayed dangerously.

Tikki giggled in her very Tikki way. "You need to sleep, Marinette. It'll help your soul."

"My soul? Why?"

"Um, well, you see, when soulmates are taken away from each other by force, both of their souls start dying. Its a slow and painful process and when Chat Noir left Paris the process started in you."

"You mean my _soul is dying! And you didn't tell me!_ " Marinette screeched. Her thin arms clasped onto Tikki's and she leaned heavily on her kwami.

"I didn't want to worry you. You were already so unstable, I didn't think telling you would be a good idea."

"Is there anything I can do? To slow the process?"

"No, unless you talked to him. But that's impossible."

"No, Tikki. Its not."

"How? How would you talk to him?"

"Well, I wouldn't be talking to him face to face."

"You... wouldn't? I'm confused."

"I'll do the next best thing. I'll talk to the moon."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had written most of this chapter and then lost it. So that was great! *groans in frustration*  
> Also, sorry for the long wait. My sister, who reads it and edits it for me, was not wanting to read it for me for the longest time! It was really frustrating!
> 
> Anyway I drew Plagg and Tikki in their human forms and even though they look awful I'm gonna give it to you anyway. So enjoy my terrible drawings! By the way, I can't draw feet/shoes so I decided not to.
> 
> So, uh, you have to highlight the link down below and copy and paste it into a new window to see the pictures. I think that should work but I'm not sure.

file:///home/chronos/u-74d0b722d4b20d21cda9be783eaa093013c400b3/MyFiles/Downloads/image1%20(1).pdf

Adrien tried. He really did. But he was unhappy in New York. He hated the way his father controlled his life and never even spoke to him. He hated the way he could never leave the penthouse unless it was for a photo-shoot or some other thing Gabriel wanted him to do. He hated the way he had to smile and act happy when he felt as if part of his soul was being ripped apart. He hated that leaping through New York didn't relax him like it used to in Paris. He hated that he couldn't talk to his friends or Ladybug. He hated everything about New York from its tall buildings to the people walking through the streets and avenues.

"Adrien, we need to talk." Plagg flew over to his chosen, hovering over his shoulder. Adrien shrugged and grumbled. "I'm serious, Adrien! I know that sounds weird coming out of my mouth, but you have to listen to me! There's something going on, and if we don't fix it you're gonna die!"

He shot a glance at his kwami and scoffed. "I'm gonna die? Right now if not really the time for your little jokes, Plagg. In fact, if I do die, it'll be better than this."

"Adrien, listen to me! There's this ancient soulmate curse, and if you don't go back to Ladybug you're both gonna die!" That got Adrien's attention.

"Ladybug's... gonna...die? If I don't go back to her. Why? How? When? What? I'm so confused. How can us being apart make us die?"

"It's my fault. Well, its Tikki's too, but I'm taking most of the credit for it."

"For what, Plagg? I don't have time to listen to you telling a history lesson if I need to be booking a flight to Paris right now!"

"But Adrien, you need the full story to understand," Plagg sighed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Okay, then make it quick."

"Thousands of years ago, when humans were still living in caves, Tikki and I were given our first wearers. This was the first time we had ever been separated, and like two fools in love, we sought the only way we thought we could be together. We took over our wearers bodies. All of our powers were suddenly put on these young children and they died weeks later. After that, every time new wearers were chosen we would control their bodies and watch them die because of us. We were young and immature so we didn't care in the slightest bit that young souls were dying. Fast forward a couple hundred years, and we were tracked down by the first guardian. The guardians as you know now protect the world by using the miraculous, but the first guardians protected the world by hiding the miraculous. He chucked us down into a magical well and left us to the ancient witch.

"She had heard of what we had done and cursed us. Her curse was that we would befriend our wearers and if they had to be separated like Tikki and I had to be, they would die a slow and painful death right before our eyes. There would be nothing we could do to stop it. The next time children were chosen, the curse struck. We quickly grew to love them, unlike any wearers before. They were the first chosen that we never wanted to hurt. But they were separated when the Chat Noir was killed in a brutal battle. The Ladybug perished soon after. We were both heart-broken. We had finally found something that rivaled our love. _Friendship_.

"We were always careful to protect the wearers. We tried to keep them as safe as possible. But even accidents happen sometimes. Three different times in the same century, our chosens were ripped apart and died painful deaths. And we could only watch. This is what's happening to you and Ladybug. You've been separated, and the only way to fix it is returning to her when you turn 18. I'm so sorry, Adrien. I never meant to cause this much pain on any of the wearers. But least of all you. Because you have been my best friend of all. I don't want to lose you, Adrien. If I could go back and change the past, I would. But Tikki and I have tried. Its impossible."

"Wow. That's quite a dark and disturbing story. So pretty much, you and Tikki are mass murderers?"

"We were. Not anymore of course. But we were." Plagg sighed. "I'm really sorry, Adrien."

"Sorry isn't going to cut it, Plagg. I'm losing my _soul_ and Ladybug could _die_ because of you," Adrien growled, his anger raising quickly.

"I know, Adrien. Don't worry, I know better than you think."

"I need to go for a run, Plagg. Need to clear my mind." 

"Okay, go ahead."

"PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!"

After leaped off skyscrapers and towers for a little bit, Adrien returned to the penthouse and de-transformed. Plagg flew over to his fridge, grabbed a piece of cheese, all without a word. Adrien collapsed on the couch. He turned his tv on and lowered the volume. A while ago he had turned all his channels to the Parisian ones. A couple moments later he glanced up and saw an familiar Ladybug running through Paris. He fumbled with the remote for a minute before finding the volume button and turning it up. Nadia Chamack was talking excited about the new Ladybug.

"Who is she? Why is she here instead of our old Ladybug? What's going on? These questions have yet to be answered, but we are excited to see what this new Ladybug can do."

"Plagg?" Adrien called over his shoulder without looking away from the screen. The little cat floated lazily away from his cheese pile and grunted in response. 

His cheese hit the floor with a thump. "Tikki?"

Adrien turned to look at his kwami. "What is she doing? Why is she human?" Plagg asked. Realization dawned on his face and his pupils widened. "Quick, Adrien, i need a rag or a shirt that I can bite into! You've got to hurry, I've only got about a minute or two!"

"What? What are you talking about, Plagg?"

"Just do it. I'll tell you later, but you've got to hurry!"

"O-okay," Adrien jumped off the couch and grabbed a clean shirt from his dresser. His kwami snatched it from his hands and stuffed it into his tiny mouth. He closed his eyes, as if expected some invisible force to come barreling down on him. He stayed this way for a few long, awkward minutes. He glanced up and opened his eyes slowly.

"Weird. I wonder why nothing happened." Plagg spat out the gag and wiped his mouth with his paw. All of a sudden Plagg's whiskers started to glow brightly and the kwami grimaced in pain. He shoved the shirt back into his mouth and screamed into it. Adrien watched in horror as his kwami twisted and turned in pain. The bright light slowly covered the kwami's entire body and became to expand. Adrien shielded his eyes from a final burst of blinding light. When he lowering his hands, a young dark-skinned boy stood where Plagg had been moments before. His dark, curly hair nearly covered his glowing green eyes. A black mask matched the black tunic he wore over a long-sleeved white shirt. He was about Adrien's height, and he a similar body shape as the model.

"P-plagg? Y-you're _human?_ "

"Yup," the kwami yawned. "It's an ancient spell that was banned ages ago, but I guess Tikki thought it was necessary. Must mean Ladybug is doing worse than expected." 

"What? Ladybug is doing worse than you thought! Shouldn't I go back to Paris to help her?"

"It won't help. Until your father officially allows you to go back to Paris the curse will stay. It doesn't matter if you back now, or in two months. Since you're supposed to be in New York, you'll continue to lose your soul even if you're with Ladybug. By the way, do you mind if I take a run around the city? I haven't been able to do that in centuries and I could use the fresh air."

"Yeah, sure. I could use the peace and quiet. Just make sure you stay out of sight, we can't have my father-"

"Figuring out your Chat Noir, yeah I know. You've only said it every time you transform." The blond rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Welp, see you in a bit." 

Adrien watched in shock as his kwami jumped out the window and plummeted towards the sidewalk. "Plagg!" Adrien cried. The kwami just grinned wickedly and winked. He pulled a sword out of a scabbard on his back and threw it violently at the building. The sword embedded itself in the solid metal of the wall. Plagg stuck his hand out, as if waiting for something. Suddenly, his hand jerked toward the blade and his body flew over to it. He yanked the sword out of the stone and slid it back into the scabbard. His hands seemed to stick to the wall and he climbed up to the top of the building.

Adrien collapsed onto his couch in relief. In the distance a little black blur jumped over rooftop after rooftop. Adrien sighed and started tearing his clothes off. He slipped into the shower and let the hot water wash away the stress of the day. About 10 minutes later he was back on the couch. He turned the tv off and closed his eyes lightly. His phone blared multiple times and he slowly cracked his eyes open again. Alerts from New York news stations covered the screen. He clicked on one hesitantly. The New York news lady was talked animatedly about a black cat-themed hero. Adrien watched in shock when a familiar curly-haired, medieval-themed, dark-skinned teenager jumped into the camera's view. Plagg gave a Cheshire smile and slid his sword into the scabbard on his back. "Hey, New York!"

He slid the sword out of his sheath and flung it at the building behind him. He flipped through the air and hung on tightly to the metal hilt. He grinned and winked at the camera, then started flying through the air, doing flips and tricks. A crowd of civilians had formed around the news cameras, and were 'oohing' and 'ahhhing' at Plagg's theatrics. When Plagg finally stopped showing off he landed heavily in front of the camera. The reporter stuttered in shock. "W-who are y-you?"

"Me? I'm Plagg, wielder of the power of destruction. Watch and learn, mortals. _Cataclysm!"_ Magic circled around Plagg's fingers. He picked up a flower from the ground and tapped it lightly. It denigrated into a pile of ashes. The crowd gasped. Plagg smirked at their dumbfounded faces.

Adrien had had enough. "PLAGG!!" He screamed out the open window. The kwami winced through the video when he heard Adrien's voice through their kwami-wearer connection.

"Looks like I have to scat. See you around!" He threw his sword and let his hand pull him away with it.

Five minutes later his smile was gone, replaced with an ashamed frown. Adrien was yelling while the kwami was cowering away. When Adrien paused to breathe, a knock echoed through the room.

" _Hide!"_ Adrien hissed. Plagg dove under the bed right as Natalie walked into the room.

"Adrien, you're father is requesting your presence." Adrien nodded solemnly. His secret was out, because Plagg had been careless enough to be seen. Adrien sulked as they walked down the hall. They paused in front of the thick oak door. When Gabriel's monotonous 'come in' came, Natalie pushed the heavy door open with a grunt and Adrien shuffled in behind her.

"Please sit, Adrien. I assume you have seen the news?"

"Yes, Father." Adrien shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"So, Adrien, why do you think Chat Noir is here? In this video he looks different and calls himself Plagg. I'd like to know you're input on this."

"Uhhh, I'm not really sure Father. Maybe Chat Noir gave his miraculous to someone else?"

"But this _Plagg_ seems to know exactly what he's doing. It's like he's had the miraculous for a long time."

"Well, umm, I'm not really sure, Father. There could be many reasons, but we're unlikely to guess the real one."

Gabriel sighed. "You're right. Even if we did guess it correctly, there would be no way to know for certain."

"R-right." Adrien stuttered. His hands were really clammy by now and he was afraid his father would see the sweat on his forehead. "Well, if that's all, I should be returning to my room."

"Except," Gabriel went on. "Our penthouses video cameras picked up on Plagg leaving from your window, Adrien."

Adrien gasped. "R-really? You don't say. How weird is that?"

"Don't lie to me Adrien," Gabriel growled. "You know why he's here. And if I go into your room and find that curly-haired scoundrel in there, you will be in big trouble." Adrien was speechless. "Natalie. Go check Adrien's room please."

The assistant nodded and left the room. She grunted again when she pulled open the large wooden door. A couple silent, awkward minutes later, Natalie returned with a sullen Plagg behind her. "I found him under the bed, M. Agreste."

Gabriel nodded. "Thank you, Natalie. Sit, _Plagg._ " Plagg shot a worried look at Adrien but sat down in the chair next to him nonetheless. "So, boys, care to tell me what's going on?"

Plagg and Adrien stayed silent.

"Okay, so neither of you care to explain why Plagg was in our house?"

Again, they stayed silent.

"So, you're going to make me do this the hard way. Trust me, it'll make you talk. You see, Plagg, I could never hurt my son, but you? I have no regrets in hurting you."

"Nothing you do will make Adrien talk," Plagg snarled. "I will withstand anything you do to me."

"You might. But Adrien is too soft to watch as someone else get hurt."

"Father, please stop this!" Adrien cried. Gabriel only glanced at his son. He clapped his hands twice, and cuffs rapped themselves around Plagg's wrists and ankles. He squirmed but couldn't get free.

"Plagg, cataclysm them!" Adrien whispered. Plagg just shook his head and sighed. "I can't, Adrien. I can't reach the bars with my fingers."

"You have one last try, Adrien. Tell me why he's here, and I won't hurt him." Adrien glanced over to his kwami, but Plagg motioned for him not to say anything. So he didn't. Gabriel sighed. "I didn't want it to come to this." 

Gabriel pressed a button on the tablet in front of him. Plagg screamed in pain. "W-what a-are you d-doing?" He grunted. Tears steamed down his face and his dark skin became ten shades lighter.

"Well, its obvious that you have the power of destruction. So, I'm stealing it from you."

If Plagg's face wasn't already as pale as possible, it got even paler. "Y-you c-can't do t-that!"

"Why can't I? You're not stopping me. The only way to stop is for Adrien to tell me why you're here." Adrien was even paler than Plagg. He couldn't imagine the pain Plagg was going through. A god, an immortal being, was slowly losing his power and becoming mortal. Because of _Adrien's father._ That shouldn't be possible, but here they were, watching as one of two of the most powerful beings in the universe slowly dies.

"Okay, okay, I'll talk!" Adrien sobbed.

"Nooo! Adrien, you can't!" Tears streamed harder down Plagg's face as his black mask slowly melted off his face.

"Why does it matter, Plagg? Without you, I won't be Chat Noir anyway!"

Gabriel smiled. "Okay, Adrien. I'm listening."

"Stop hurting Plagg and I'll tell you."

"As you wish." Gabriel tapped the button again lightly with his fingertip. Plagg slowly relaxed back into his chair. The color returned to his face, and his tears stopped.

Adrien sighed. Here he was, about to tell his father the biggest secret of his life; that he was Chat Noir. "Father, the reason Plagg is here is because he is my kwami. I am Chat Noir. I fought against Hawk Moth every day of my life, and I still do!"

Gabriel didn't say a word.

"Plagg is human because of some spell that Ladybug's kwami had to do, and it made him human with her. I'm sorry for not telling you." Adrien shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Thank you Adrien. That wasn't so hard, now was it? If you had done that sooner, Plagg wouldn't have been hurt. You are dismissed." Adrien stood and waited for his kwami to stand to, but Plagg was still cuffed to the chair.

"Father? You've got to let Plagg go."

"I said you were dismissed Adrien. Not Plagg. I need to speak with him privately. Now go along, Adrien." Adrien glanced worriedly at his kwami, but Plagg gave him a look of reassurance and Adrien hurried out the room.

"So, Plagg. You are the kwami of destruction." Plagg nodded. "Good, because I need your power."

Plagg's green eyes widened. Gabriel continued on. "You see, for months and months I tried to get your miraculous through other people. I would akumatize some fool and they would fail to retrieve Ladybug's and Chat Noir's miraculous. It was extremely frustrating. So when I learned there was a way to extract a kwamis powers, I took it as my chance to finally succeed. I left my miraculous in Paris for some fortunate soul to find and use. But the problem with this new-found knowledge, the only way to get the materials I needed was to move to New York. And here we are. i didn't expect it would be this easy to lure you into my trap, but it was a pleasant surprise to find you were living in my house all along."

"I will never let you win!" Plagg snarled.

Gabriel chuckled. "Ah! But I already have."

Natalie walked up behind Plagg and stuffed a piece of cloth into his mouth. Gabriel smiled wickedly. "We can't have Adrien hearing you, now can we?" Plagg writhed wildly in his seat. Gabriel brought his tablet over to Plagg. His picked up Plagg's limp finger and forced him to push the button. Plagg's body seized up in pain and he screamed violently into the rag.

"I just love irony, don't you?" Gabriel snarled. Plagg's skin paled even worse this time and the tears gushed out of his eyes. He could feel the power slowly draining from his body. "I'm so sorry, Tikki. I'm sorry, Adrien. I'm sorry, Master Fu. I'm sorry, Ladybug. I'm so sorry," he cried into the cloth.

Gabriel watched as the incredible kwami of destruction, who had lived for millions of years and had killed the dinosaurs and caused famines, and plagues, and droughts, slowly get drained of his power. When the process was finally complete, the kwami slumped in his chair, completely unconscious. His breaths coming out in ragged gasps. Natalie removed the rag from his mouth. Gabriel slipped on white gloves and knelt beside the Plagg's chair. A panel in the side open up and bright black energy spilled out. The carpet and side of the chair immediately disappeared as soon as the black light touched it.

Gabriel calmly reached into the center of the glowing orb and pulled out a small bright white ball, no bigger the a baseball. "There it is, Natalie. The power of destruction. It's finally mine, and once I get the power of creation, Emilie will finally be able to return to Adrien and I."

Natalie frowned at her boss. She hadn't expecting Gabriel to go as far as to hurt an innocent boy.

But what's done and is done, and there was no turning back now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the first time I wrote this Gabriel was going to try and be a better father for Adrien, but then as I was writing it again, I was like 'you know, Gabriel is just a terrible father so there is no way he can be redeemed' so I made him torture Plagg.
> 
> YAY! Evil Gabriel! Like, even more evil Gabriel than before!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So when I first thought of this story, it was going to be a cute fluffy little story. That did not happen, as you can see. This is a lot more dark and brutal than the original story-line. But honestly I kinda like it better. There is one thing that I really wanted to happen in the original story that I'm not sure if it's going to happen in this one. 
> 
> Tell me what you think. Should I go out of my way to make it happen, or just be okay with it not happening?

Plagg awoke with a start. He jolted out of a bed and looked around the room wildly. He wasn't in Gabriel's office anymore. Instead, he was in a stark white room; the twin bed taking up half the small room. Suddenly, his vision swam and dark spots appeared at the edge of his sight. He laid back down on the pillow and closed his eyes. He rested that way for a few minutes. When he thought his dizzy spell was over he peeked his eyes open again. 

His normal enhanced sight and hearing wasn't working; he frowned worriedly. Why was he in this room? Why did he feel weaker than usual? And where was Adrien?

Suddenly the memories of what happened in the office came flying back at him. He jumped out bed and felt around wildly for his sword. It wasn't there. What was he expecting? He knew his power was gone. The sword was part of his power, so it would be gone too. He sighed in defeat. There was no way he was going to be able to get his power back now. Gabriel Agreste was too smart to let a mortal, like Plagg, steal back the power of destruction when Gabriel had finally gotten his hands on it.

Shoes clicked outside of Plagg's room. He stuck his ears against the wall and followed the noise until it stopped by the corner of the room. A hidden door opened and Natalie Sancoeur stepped inside.

Her normal passive face was unusually emotional, and _older_. Her teal-blue eyes were wide and red, and her mouth was shaped in a small 'o'. Her hair had more gray streaks, and her cheeks looked more sunken in than the last time he saw her. "Y-you're awake!"

"Yeah, and?" Plagg was not in the mood to deal with her right now.

"Well, you've been in a coma for two years!"

 _Two years_. Two years. The words echoed through Plagg's mind. His vision swam again and he sat back down on the bed. _Two years_ that Hawk Moth, _Gabriel_ , could've found Tikki and taken her power. _Two years_ that Adrien wouldn't have known where he was. _Two years_ Plagg should've been using to look for his power. _Two years_.

"T-two years?! Like, two years as in 730 days?" Plagg gasped.

"Yes, that's how long two years is. But thank goodness you're awake. You have to come with me!" Natalie grabbed Plagg's wrist and yanked him out of the room. Plagg stumbled along behind her. They hurried down an unfamiliar hallway. Plagg glanced around in confusion.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"Shhh! We must hurry, there's no time for questions!" She clutched his wrist tighter and walked faster. 

"You've got to tell me what's going on!" Plagg stopped dead in the hallway. Natalie tried to continue pulling him along, but even a former supervillian isn't strong enough to pull a former god.

She humphed. "Fine! Something is wrong with Adrien. Like seriously wrong, and you're the only person who might know what's going on! Gabriel might be terrible at expressing how he feels, but he still loves his son very much. We don't know how much longer Adrien has to live!" 

Plagg's eyes widened and he starting running down the hallway. "Then what are we waiting for?"

" _You!_ " Natalie cried. Plagg ignored her and continued sprinting down the never-ending hallway. They continued to run in silence for a few awkward minutes, the only sound was their shoes hitting the ground and Natalie's labored breathing. Finally, they reached a fork in the hall. Plagg waited impatiently for Natalie to catch up to him. When she finally reached him, she doubled over, panting hard. She raised a limp finger and pointed down the hall on the right. "First door on the left." She gasped. Plagg nodded in thanks and took off sprinting again. It didn't take long to reach the door. It was closed, so he patiently knocked. He waited precisely two seconds before barging into the room. 

Adrien's thin and bony body lay in a bed at the end of the room. His normal golden hair was straw yellow and his cheeks were more sunken in than Natalie’s. His eyes had lost their vibrant forest green and instead were a dull olive color. Plagg had hoped to never see a wearer in this condition again, but here he was, watching his best friend in the same condition that had killed one of the most beloved miraculous wielders in history. Wires and IVs were surrounding the blond, and he looked so _small_ even though he was two years older than the last time he had seen his wearer.

A weak smile crossed Adrien's cracked lips. "Plagg!" he croaked, his voice weak and quiet. A shadow shifted next to the bed. Gabriel's cold eyes glowed in the darkness.

”Do something," he commanded.

A low growl rumbled from Plagg's throat. "There's nothing I can do! It's your fault he's this way!"

Adrien glanced worriedly between his father and kwami. But Gabriel only had eyes for the dark-skinned boy. "There has to be something you can do! You're a kwami for goodness sake!"

"Was." Plagg corrected. "I _was_ a kwami. And maybe if I still was, I could help him. I could transform him into Chat Noir and let him use my energy to stay alive. But I can't do that because _you_ stole my powers!"

Gabriel stayed quiet. Plagg continued on. "I _could've_ helped but because of your selfishness your going to lose both your son and your wife. I hope your happy!"

Adrien continued to watch his kwami and father argue. It made him scared and his breath quickened. The machines next to the bed starting beeping crazily, and it only made Adrien freak out more. Plagg and Gabriel shut up and knelt down beside the teen. 

"Adrien. Adrien! _Adrien!_ You have to calm down. Plagg and I were just having an adult conversation. You're okay. You're safe. You're going to be alright. Now say it with me." Plagg watched in shock as Gabriel calmed Adrien down in a way that Plagg had never seen before. He was acting like a real father. Adrien slowly calmed down enough to say the words with his father.

"I'm okay. I'm safe. I'm going to be alright." Adrien's eyes closed lazily and he drifted off into an restless sleep.

"He shouldn't be so freaked out over something like that." Plagg commented.

"In his weak state, little things set off his anxiety. He's like a little kid, not a sixteen-year-old teenager." Gabriel finally turned away from his son and gently pried Adrien's fingers off his hand. "He's extremely skittish and gets nervous very quickly. The doctors can't find a cure. They don't even know what's wrong with him. That's why I was hoping you would know what to do." 

Plagg shook his head solemnly. "The only thing to do is to let him return to his soulmate. But because you specifically told him he can't return to Paris until he's eighteen, the curse won't stop until he's in Paris, with _Ladybug_ , and is _eighteen_. We have to wait for two more years."

" _Two years!_ You weren't here to see how quickly he got sick. It didn't help when you disappeared, either. You were his only friend he could still talk to."

"Might I remind you _why_ I was gone for two years?" Plagg hissed.

Gabriel looked away from Plagg's glaring green gaze. "Look, I'll give you your power back if it means that my son lives."

"I can make no promises. There's still a big chance Adrien could die before he comes of age, but with my help he will definitely be more likely to live."

M. Agreste sighed. "See to it that he doesn't die." Plagg nodded. "I'll have Natalie meet you at the penthouse. You'll have to go through the same process as before."

"I have to go through that pain again?" Plagg shuddered. Even the memory of the agony was painful. 

"Unfortunately, yes." Plagg glared at the older man. He was about to snap back when Adrien cried out in his sleep. Instantly, both men were kneeling beside him. Gabriel reached for his son's hand but Plagg had beaten him to it. 

"Shh, Adrien, it's going to be okay. I'm going to get my power back and keep you alive. I know you're hurting, but you're not alone. Just think of Ladybug. You have to stay alive so she can live too. I'll do anything for you, kid. Even if it means going through that unbearable pain again," Plagg whispered. He clutched Adrien's hand tightly. "I'm ready, Gabriel. The sooner I get this over with, the sooner I can help Adrien." Plagg said louder. Gabriel nodded and took Adrien's hand from the kwami’s. He gave it a gentle squeeze. Plagg excused himself from the room and wandered around the hospital for a little bit. He quickly grew impatient and just asked for directions out of the building. Luckily, the hospital was only a block away from the penthouse building. When he finally made it through the heavy oak door of Gabriel’s office, he was ready to burst at the seams. He was anxious. Natalie seemed to be anxious too because she was pacing the room nervously. She glanced up when she heard the dark-skinned boy enter. Her face showed physical signs of relief. 

"Please, sit," she commanded. Plagg sat down at the very edge of the familiar chair. How he hated this chair, and here he was sitting in it again, willingly. "I'm sorry but the cuffs are going to have to go around your wrists again."

Plagg swallowed heavily, his adam's apple bobbing. He nodded shakily, and the metal cuffs rose out of the armrests and circled his wrists. He gritted his teeth and reminded himself that this was for Adrien. 

Natalie took a key out of her pocket and slid it into a secret compartment under the rug. She carefully pulled out a pulsing, glowing orb. She opened a side panel in Plagg's chair and slid the ball into a holder. She closed the door tightly. "Are you ready, Plagg?"

"Yes. But, Natalie?" The assistant nodded. "What happens if I go into a two year coma again?"

"You'll be an immortal god again. You'll be able to control your consciousness and control whether or not you faint." Plagg nodded in understanding.

"Here." Natalie put a strip of cloth between his teeth. Plagg clamped down hard. 

The assistant clutched the tablet tightly in her hands. "Are you ready?" Worry laced her tone but Plagg ignored it and nodded. Her finger was shaking. She silently pressed the button.

Immediately the pain returned. It felt like Plagg had never left the chair. But this time the pain was different. Last time it felt like every ounce of his being was being sucked away. This time it felt like something immensely powerful was being shoved into him. He screamed and thrashed and writhed. His head was on fire, his lungs were burning, his arms and legs were petrified in pain. He cried and sobbed and begged but the pain continued to come in wave after wave of nauseating pain. And just as quickly as it started, it stopped.

Plagg slowly cracked his eyes open. Natalie's pale face was in front of him. Her finger was on the button. Plagg looked from her scared, pale face to her finger, and back to her face. He spat the cloth out of his mouth. "You stopped the process before it was over," he growled. Natalie nodded slowly. "Why? It would have been better it you hadn't!"

Natalie looked away, ashamed. "I, uh, couldn't bare to see you in so much pain when I controlled it."

"So now I have to finish the process. It would've been easier if I only had to go through that once, but no, now I have to do it again!" he hissed.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking and..." Natalie sobbed.

"Just go ahead and finish it," he snarled. "And don't stop this time."

Natalie nodded and pressed the button again. Plagg screamed out loud this time. He had forgotten to put the gag back in his mouth, and now he was screaming bloody murder. Natalie's covered her ears but she couldn't block out the screams that would haunt her nightmares for years to come. She watched as Plagg's green eyes spread across his pupils and become cat-like once more. She watched as his muscles stood out more and filled in his loose clothing. She watched as a sword appeared out of thin air and fell into his lap. She watched as tears streamed down his face. She watched as his body grew limp. She watched as the dull glow coming from the panel in the chair slowly emptied. She watched as the glow entered his veins and lit them up like a firework. She watched as he finally calmed down and opened his eyes again.

He smiled weakly. "Well, I'm officially the god of destruction again."

Natalie felt the corners of her mouth go up without her consent. She clapped and the cuffs around his wrist disappeared back into the chair. He jumped up, grabbing his sword. He hurried over to the window. He struggled for a minute or two before turning back to Natalie. "Does this open?"

Natalie nodded. She pressed a button on her tablet and the windows slowly opened. Plagg leaped out of the office as soon as the window was open enough to let his body through. He threw his sword and zipped off to where it had landed.

Five minutes later he was pacing the hospital. He didn't know where Adrien's room was. Luckily Natalie had texted Gabriel that the process had been completed and Plagg was on his way. Gabriel had sent a nurse to retrieve the kwami and Plagg only had to wait for a little bit before she found him and brought him to Adrien's room. Plagg burst into the small hospital room. M. Agreste stood. Plagg nodded at the silent question. Gabriel looked relieved. But Plagg was not reassured. Adrien was awake again. Plagg knelt beside his wearer.

"Hey, Adrien. I need you to transform for me. I'm going to let you use my energy to get better." Adrien looked shocked at Plagg's words.

"No, Plagg, I can't do that to you," he protested.

"You have to. Adrien, I'd rather you use as much of my energy as you need when I am immortal, than you dying because you thought it would hurt me."

Adrien sighed. He knew Plagg had won. "Okay. Plagg, Claws Out."

Plagg's human body turned into his small kwami form briefly before flying into the ring on Adrien's hand. The suit felt different to Adrien. He glanced down and saw it was _definitely_ different. It had beautiful lime green accents, and his hair was curlier and a few shades darker. His normal sharp claw-like nails were actual claws and instead of his baton, Plagg's sword hung from his shoulders. Gabriel stared in awe. His son was his mortal enemy, who had ruined so many of Gabriel's brilliant plans, who had caused him to be desperate enough to move to a different country. His son was the reason they weren't a family, and Gabriel was proud. Yes, Gabriel was proud of Adrien Agreste for successfully stopping so many of his exceptionally well thought out plans. 

"Why are you staring at me?" Adrien chuckled. His chuckle turned into a cough and all of a sudden he was desperate for air. Gabriel was at his son's side instantly. Adrien started choking on his own breath. His frail body shook with every hacking cough. The senior Agreste didn't know what to do. And then, just as soon as Adrien's coughing fit started, it stopped. And a claw on Adrien's finger disappeared.

"Plagg," Gabriel whispered. Plagg had just used his energy to clear Adrien's airways and now the suit was slowly receding. There was nothing Gabriel could do to help his son. Just like there was nothing Gabriel could do to help his wife. His worst nightmare was coming alive, and Gabriel had to sit back and hope that his nemesis could save his son.


End file.
